summer fun

The Ultimate Christmas in July Party

| The Bee Life

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to throw a Christmas in July Party. Since we became homeowners, an annual Christmas, holiday party became a tradition and something our friends always asked and were excited about — since our annual parties have been canceled, it felt like the perfect year to finally throw a Christmas in July party. Here is how you can plan your own Christmas in July Party; first things first, get a date set in advance if you have super busy friends!

Pro-Tip: Pin this post for your party planning next Summer!

Pick Your Theme🎄

This might be harder than you think, at least it was for me! I was thinking Red, White & Blue Christmas theme (cause you know, 4th of July) – then I was thinking Hawaiian-esq, flamingos, pool Christmas (think Mele Kalikimaka as your inspo). But then, I was thinking just straight up Christmas in July, faux Christmas tree, red, green, plaid, snowflakes, traditional dishware – so that was the direction I went with a touch of our favorite Christmas movies as added inspiration for decor and food: Home Alone and Elf.
– Home Alone inspired decor/food: Cheese pizza, candy/ice cream sundae bar, framed picture of Buzz’s girlfriend, Pepsi, Little Nino’s Pizza.
– Elf inspired decor/food: Candy, snowflakes, candy cane swirl,

Food & Bevies 🎅

Once you have a theme, figuring out your food and beverages is a bit easier! We also hosted a smaller crowd, so I wanted to keep it simpler and easy so we weren’t doing too much work. We ordered pizza’s, made some pigs in a blanket, a Christmas-tree shaped charcuterie board and then your standard snacky foodies with a candy bar, ice cream treats and Christmas in July themed sugar cookies by the talented Sweet Geebs.

We of course had a fridge stocked with all sorts of bevies from local beers to seltzers – but we also made a handcrafted cocktail that I knew our guest list would be all over (and they were!) which was a Spicy Jalapeño and Lime Tequila cocktail that B has perfected this summer.

Decor & More ❄️

This might be my favorite part of parties – creating a moment, evoking a feeling and overall vibe for the party. My biggest issue was trying not to spend too much money – but also trying to keep it easy. I ended up compromising and ended up DIY-ing more than I planned, headed to the Dollar Store and bought a few high-impact pieces. Another tough part about a Christmas in July Party is you’re starting basically from scratch – Christmas parties in December are easy because the decor is already taken care of! I wanted to transform our garage into Christmas so I focused on a green and red backdrop with hand-cut coffee filter snowflakes with clear string I already had. Making and hanging these was a pain in the butt, but very fun. We also had lights strung in the garage which helped add a little extra twinkle.

Don’t forget to encourage your guests to dress festive! B and I got matching McAllister Home Security shirts and I pulled out some big red bow-beaded earrings for an easy look! We also had a blistering hot day, luckily it was overcast so a pool would’ve been a great addition to our Christmas in July party… but alas we don’t have one! Finally, just remember to have fun and Merry Christmas in July ya filthy animal! 🎅🎄❄️



Shop my Decor: Green & Red Foil Curtains and Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal Banner

Weekend Roundup – July 2020

| The Bee Life

July was another rollercoaster month — but it had some lovely moments of normal. I think those are the moments I need to remind myself more of, those moments of normal.

The month started out with a travel first for B and I — although we were only heading to see my parents, we traveled in a different way than we ever have before. A 73-feet RV! Luckily we didn’t have to worry about driving, so we had a stress free and relaxing ride hanging out with the family. It was massive, and was even bigger once it was parked and stretched out. Once we arrived to our parents, this allowed the fam we traveled with to stay in the RV while we stayed in my parents house — it worked out perfectly!
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Luckily we were with family that we’ve seen off and on throughout the last few months — keeping our bubble consistent, but we headed in for my aunt’s beautiful backyard wedding. I know this is the exact scenario everyone has been reading about to avoid for the last three months – I wouldn’t lie if I didn’t say I was anxious about it, but I was also excited to see everyone. We all shared concerns, but we all have been safe, have limited our foot print and continue to take proper safety precautions. The first night together we spent playing corn hole, listening to music, playing games and eating delicious summer cookout food. It was a lot of fun and great being together.
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The next day was pretty low key before the wedding. Luckily, the wedding was hosted in my cousins very large backyard. My aunt looked absolutely stunning in her BHLDN wedding dress too and their ceremony was so perfect and shared a lot of special moments between L&A. The wedding guests were pretty much everyone we had been with the night before, so not a lot of new people interacting or mingling and those that were new kept their distance and masked up. We also kept up our intense corn hole tournaments going once the wedding festivities were complete — as it got pretty competitive before we all called it a night and just sat around the fire. Other wedding highlights included fun with the pop-up Polaroid photo booth, eating delicious Nancy cake, Chromatic, Midnight Train to George and getting a surprise firework display since the wedding was on the Fourth of July!
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The rest of July was filled with knocking out a few backyard projects, that I can’t wait to share with you in the coming weeks. We’ve also had a hot July summer days, so it’s been some sweaty afternoons and evenings – while taking advantage of early morning tee times, I think we golfed almost every week in July! We’ve been soaking up patio dinners and front porch nights while enjoying refreshing beverages.

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Latest Obsessions 07.20

| The Bee Life

Another month, more obsessions, more quarantine and still social distancing over here. So my latest obsessions are exactly what summer’s are made of: Golf. Grilling. And Work Outs.

B and I have quickly turned golfing into a weekly routine. We’ve been going out early to get nine holes in before the work day. It’s also been necessary to go out early to beat the hot summer heat we’ve been blessed with. It’s become a fun hobby, that B is already so great at and loves that I’ve come to enjoy — I just haven’t always make it out in previous years! We’ve also made it another fun summer activity to do with my aunts, too! This has led me to wanting to upgrade my hand-me-down golf bag, however — golf bags aren’t cheap, especially the ones I want. *grins*
BeeLifeBlog_GolfGrilling is our preferred dinner method of choice, especially in the summer! We’ve also been loving our MeatboxLocal ground beef delivery. We’ve been completely stocked for burgers all summer, and have also loved grilling up some bacon on the castiron skillet for bacon cheeseburgers — YUM! Grilling out over the summer, means spending more time and extending our nights into our outdoor living space on the patio.  In addition to grilling a lot, we have also been trying to eat a lot better and low carb! B has been really good about it, so that has been keeping it in check — it’s definitely easier when you have a partner to keep you accountable.
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The last latest obsession that has been also keeping us in check beyond eating better is getting up and working out! As I shared in my July Fitness Friday that we’ve had to pivot the workout routine because of the intense summer heat — although even the morning workouts with the humidity are still pretty sweaty which make the workouts feel a little more effective. I still want to get back into a bit of a running routine and take advantage of the cooler days so I can help accomplish my running goals for the year! It’s helped that B has been working out with me too, along with the aunts or getting a quick one in at our house.
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Besides these latest summer obsessions — I’ve been trying to stay busy and distracted with some house projects, that I’ll be sharing soon, to avoid the reality that is still continuing of coronavirus. I thought maybe these summer months and nice weather would be a breeze to get through, but the mental health and anxiety has been a constant battle. I know I’m not the only one — but it’s important we continue to take care of ourselves and check in with each other, still. It’s easy to get wrapped up and just because things have continued to be the rollercoaster they have been since March doesn’t mean people are the same or it’s gotten easier.

Here’s to staying positive, healthy and happy!

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Weekend Recap – 21st Night of September

| The Bee Life

I may or may not still be recovering from the weekend! For nearing the end of September, the weather was toasty warm and full of sunshine – it was perfect for porch hangouts, two year old bday parties, a wedding and even a nap outside on the patio.  Yup, that was the flyover recap of the weekend, but the highlight was definitely K&J’s wedding on Saturday.

Funny enough, this was the first wedding we’ve been too in almost 2-years, the last wedding we went to was ours! So we were feeling a little rusty with the whole wedding guest game. K&J’s wedding also happened to be the 21st night of September – queue the Earth, Wind & Fire’s song September.  The ceremony was intimate as it took place in a wine cellar with friends and family gathered around. In addition the the intimate setting, the vows were personal and special to the couple with plenty of laughs for all to be had – it was the perfect mix of what makes up K&J.  The reception was full of dancing, laughs, pictures, catching up with coworkers and bonding with the bride and grooms family. It was a beautiful night for the newlyweds, not to mention the bride was simply stunning!
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Other highlights from the weekend included getting a Saturday workout in and enjoying a homemade breakfast afterwards on the patio with B as we enjoyed more of the beautiful weather and sunshine.  We did some housework, cleaned up the house and just enjoyed the day being home.  On Sunday we celebrated our nieces second birthday with her big party! The theme was minnie mouse and the weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor party – the girls even got me into the bounce house for a bit. I also got a major nap in on Sunday after the birthday fun, we had a late night from the wedding so apparently I needed it.
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It’s hard to believe we’re in the last full week of September with one more weekend left.  Where did this month go? Not to mention, Monday was officially the first day of Fall – but the weather definitely doesn’t feel like fall just yet, so I am still clinging onto Summer!

What were your weekend highlights?

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Weekend Roundup – August

| The Bee Life

The month of August has been a constant whirlwind and we still have almost two weeks left! The weekends have been packed from weekend trips, to birthday parties and girls meet ups.  On top of the weekends, the week nights have also been jammed packed, back to back, leading right into the weekends – I’m honestly exhausted! But, as exhausting as it’s all been, it’s been a lot of fun, with great moments, so here’s a quick round-up so far.
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The first weekend in August was spent back home celebrating my brother and sister-in-laws baby shower!  It was a busy weekend, as I was helping mom with a lot of the party details as I was in charge of the woodland themed decor, while also making sure the shower went off without a hitch.  Family and friends traveled in from near and far to celebrate and spoil the parents to be and future baby girl.  After the shower, the little bit of the weekend left was spent with extended and immediate family during this quick 36-hour trip.
Weekend Recap(3)-beelifeblogWeekend #2 was a little less busy? We hosted dear friends on Friday night, grilled out and enjoyed a beautiful evening on the patio, we even had s’mores! It is always great catching up with those two and we’re always thankful for the time we get to spend with them especially now that they have a little one!  Saturday, I got together with the girls, we went for a hike through the park and got our monthly catch-up in. Again, the time with these girls is so precious as we’re all in different stages of our life, Beks has two beautiful little kiddos, A is expecting her first and I am just living life.
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The rest of Saturday, B and I were able to actually relax, take a nap, grab a bite to eat and watch our shows.  Our Sunday was crazy, as we were double booked with bday parties, that weren’t so close geographically.  Our nieces’ 4th bday (unfortunately I can only post photos of the delicious sweets due to political reasons) was earlier in the day and then we went to a surprise 60th to a dear family friend.  Both parties were fun, we got lots of time in with the 4th birthday princess and then helped pull off a successful surprise party and laughed the night away.
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Weekend #3 – We headed back home again this time on Thursday night so that I could get my wisdom teeth out Friday morning!  It was something I wasn’t looking forward to doing, but was told it should and needed to be done. I opted for no gas, so after the procedure was done, mom and I ran a few errands before heading back to the house to ‘rest.’ Saturday the guys went golfing, while Mom and I did a few more errands for a project she asked for my help out – a closet makeover for my brother’s baby nursery (which turned out amazing.)  The rest of the weekend was fairly low key, as I tried to eat soft food, iced my face and did salt water rinses for my wisdom teeth post op care.
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In between all of these weekends there has been week night dinners, after work functions, work summer outings, hair cuts, running errands, a few runs, walks with Moz and reality TV.  The rest of August is still jammed packed, but more of that will be shared with you all soon! xox

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Weekend Recap – Summer Things

| The Bee Life

This weekend was a hot one, with the weather apps saying it “feels like 100” most of the weekend, we didn’t let that deter us from summer fun activities! We also wasted no time getting started with the weekend and were in full weekend mode as soon as I left the office Friday afternoon.  Weekend(1) - the beelifeFriday we headed to get drinks pre-Tribe game at a low key cocktail lounge just outside of downtown.  We made it in time for happy hour and half priced handcrafted cocktails that were absolutely incredible – we will definitely be heading back for another date night.  It was the perfect pre-game to the Tribe game that happened to be dollar dog night, and happened to be one of those ‘feels like 100’ and super sweaty nights.  We ended up going with my aunts and then my aunt and uncle came up for the fun as well – it was a family occasion and a great night for a ball game, and a big W for the home team! And we didn’t let the heat interfere with the fun!
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Saturday was a mix of fun – as my parents got into town Friday night, so the guys headed out for golf with the aunts, while mom and I got to hung out, went shopping and had a delicious lunch on a patio with some bubbles before more fun started!  My other aunt ended up coming into town too, so we had more hangs with all the aunties and a delicious dinner of fresh walleye, summery salads and plenty of laughs and an unplanned late night!

To round out the weekend, Sunday kicked off with church and brunch – the guys got in another round of golf too! Then I was off to eastern Ohio for a bridal shower in wine country at the beautiful Ferrante winery.  The picturesque venue was the perfect compliment to the weekend and enjoying all the amazing summer weather, while also showering a sweet friend with lots of bride-to-be love!

The evening wrapped up on the patio with B before the rain started which ended up being the perfect transition inside to watch the Big Little Lies season finale! The weekend was definitely a whirlwind of fun, but so totally worth it and so much family time ❤
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Latest Obsessions 07.19

| The Bee Life

It’s HOT in the SUMMER and oh how I love it, so much! So let my latest obsessions, summer edition continue into the month of July – because I am just eating it all up. One thing about summer is it always makes me want to travel, and coming fresh off a trip the travel bug is still lingering, hot! On the opposite side of that, because the weather has been so great we’ve been loving our outdoor living space and soaking up as much sun and summer nights as possible in our own backyard oasis.
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Summer 2020 Travel Plans:  With a bigger trip falling through that we had on our radar for next summer, my wheels have already started turning for another big trip or multiple little ones to fill in the gap.  2020 is going to be a big year – so as much as I hate thinking about it and rushing away 2019, it is definitely going to be one that calls for some planning! Speaking of 2019 – we still have a few more trips queued up and are still swooning from the west coast, lush Portland was definitely an awesome trip!

Our Backyard Oasis: We’ve been a bit obsessed with our back patio and using it as much as possible, from eating dinner, snacks, to late nights sitting with music playing and drinks flowing until it’s time for bed! On the weekends, it’s honestly been weird to sit around inside for too long unless it’s first thing in the morning.  Moz loves it too, she gets all the sun spots!

Running Routine: I’m slowly getting back into my running and fitness routine! It’s been a slow start to 2019 and even slower start this summer – my June Fitness Friday post shares the latest updates from pulling my back, to physical therapy and now getting back to it.  Although this might be one thing I don’t love about summer, is running in the heat – so I’m pushing through and making myself still run!

What’re your favorite things about summer?

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Latest Obsessions 06.19

| The Bee Life

The first day of summer was this past Friday and the weekend weather that followed was absolutely perfect with the perfect amount of sunshine – 100%. So with summer comes a lot of my most favorite things, like bubbles (the alcoholic type), cookouts and grilled dinners, late nights catching up with friends, s’mores, walks with the pup and vacations!
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Not your ordinary s’mores: Oh my gosh, I will never eat a traditional s’more ever again! I created the ultimate s’mores board a few weeks ago – which is basically a charcuterie board of s’mores, fancy dark chocolate, reese cups, sprinkles and caramel sauce. YUM! To get the full break down and your inspiration check out my post: Ultimate S’mores Board

Vacay Ready Wardrobe: With a few trips coming up I can’t help but want a few new outfits to show off in my vacation destinations.  My latest Amazon Fashion review is a sneak peak at a few of my vacay wardrobes, but I also broke down my tips for getting the perfect Vacation Ready Wardrobe before your next trip!

Cookouts without the Carbs: We’ve been grilling out a lot and eating burgers has been a big part of that! But we have been ditching the fries and the buns and opting for healthier options like fresh berries, and romain leaves as our burger buns – after my week of low-to-no carbs we’ve both been super conscious about what we’re eating and drinking.  So instead of beers, we’ve been drinking hard seizures, lots of regular water, and of course my champagne.

What’re your favorite things about summer? Comment below!

Happy Summer!

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Ultimate Summer S’more Board

| The Bee Life

It’s time to step-up your s’more game, and I’ll tell you just how to do it with my ultimate summer s’more board. It’s the charcuterie board of s’mores and it’s only going up from here in the wow, mouth watering, #goals department. Don’t worry the only thing that doesn’t change is that delicious perfectly toasted marshmallow. So whether this is for a girl’s night, date night or low-key hang with the neighbors the way you eat s’mores is forever about to change – and you’re going to wow your guests in the process. Oh, and don’t forget the bubbles!
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